BLACK WIDOW and CRUELLA Will Be Released on Disney+ and in Theaters; Disney Also Shifts More Release Dates
Disney is finally locking down its movie release plans as movie theaters begin to reopen everywhere. While theaters are reopening, Disney isn’t ready to release many of their upcoming films exclusively in theaters, so they are following the Warner Bros. model.
Two of Disney’s biggest films, Black Widow and Cruella, are set to premiere on Disney+ and in theaters at the same time. Marvel’s Black Widow will now be released on July 9th instead of May 7th. Cruella is now set to arrive on May 28th. Both titles will be offered on Premier Access, which comes with a $30 rental fee.
Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings was supposed to be released in July, but due to the release date push of Black Widow, the movie will now be released on September 3rd. That film is expected to have a normal theatrical release.
Disney also announced that Pixar’s Luca will exclusively be released on Disney+ and completely skip theaters. But, it will be offered for no extra fee. The movie will hit the streaming service on June 18th.
Some of the other release date changes include Free Guy (Aug. 13), The King’s Man (Dec. 22), Deep Water (Jan. 14, 2022) and Death on the Nile (Feb. 11, 2022).
Kareem Daniel, the chairman of Disney Media and Entertainment distribution, says their release strategy “reflects our focus on providing consumer choice and serving the evolving preferences of audiences.” He goes on to say:
“By leveraging a flexible distribution strategy in a dynamic marketplace that is beginning to recover from the global pandemic, we will continue to employ the best options to deliver The Walt Disney Company’s unparalleled storytelling to fans and families around the world.”
As long as I have the opportunity to see some of these films in theaters, like Black Widow, I'm happy.
Source: Variety